Biography of Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhailovich

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Who has not seen such famous paintings as "Bogatyrs" and "Alenushka"? What about Ivan the Terrible? The legendary Russian artist is probably known not only to adults, but also to children, because the latter could see the illustrations made by Vasnetsov for Russian folk tales in children's books or magazines.

How did the artist live?

Meanwhile, he might not have become an artist, because in those days when he lived, there was a tradition according to which sons had to follow in the footsteps of their father and inherit his profession. And his father, by the way, was a priest. Therefore, at the age of 10, little Victor was sent to study first at a special theological school, and then at a theological seminary located in Vyatka.

Vyatka Theological Seminary

One can say that Vasnetsov's biography as an artist began right here. There were many local amateur artists and various craftsmen in the Vyatka province. All of them were engaged in painting toys, furniture and utensils, woodcarving and beautiful embroidery.

There is no doubt that it had a huge impact on the developmenttalent of a young man, as well as his worldview. He was so carried away by drawing that if he had a few free minutes, he immediately began to draw something. Probably, then he could not have imagined that soon this would become his life's work.

Although Vasnetsov's biography includes not only information about him as an artist. It is authentically known that he was engaged in architecture and design, and was also a muralist, theater artist and, as mentioned above, an illustrator of children's books.

Academy of Arts and Society for the Encouragement of Artists School

He never graduated from the Theological Seminary: having left the last year, he decided to go to St. Petersburg, to enter the Academy of Arts. To do this, he writes two genre pictures, "The Milkmaid" and "The Reaper", sells them and goes to the Academy with the money received.

Further, Vasnetsov's biography unfolds as follows. Arriving in St. Petersburg and reaching the coveted Academy, he takes the entrance exams and waits for notification of the results. But he didn't wait. But not because he did not, but because an error occurred, and for some reason the notification was not delivered to him. In fact, he did, but only found out about it a year later.

Deciding that he will try again next year, he goes to the school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists. There he improves his skills, and at the same time earns a living by illustrating various books, magazines, and even gives private lessons.

Artist Vasnetsov, biographywhich contains many interesting facts, wrote a large collection of paintings that impress with their realism and simplicity. He wrote many of them when he studied at the Academy, such as "Tea Party", "The Old Woman Feeds the Chickens", "Beggars" and others.

After graduation, at the invitation of his friend and artist Repin, he went to Paris. He worked there for a year, and in this country he painted the painting “Balagans in the vicinity of Paris.”

But besides amazing paintings, there are many portraits that Vasnetsov painted. The brief biography set forth in this article has many unsaid moments, such as, for example, Viktor Mikhailovich's aforementioned passion for architecture and design.

The house where the artist lived is decorated in a very interesting, intricate style. And the author of this project was, of course, Vasnetsov. On the second floor of this "terem" there was a workshop, in which many paintings were born, which later became a legend.

Private life

Little is known about the artist's family life. But the surviving portraits allow you to see firsthand the creator's wife, one of his daughter Tatiana and sons Vladimir and Boris.

Interesting facts from the life of the creator

From the words of his great-grandniece, some curious facts are known that Vasnetsov's biography contains:

1. Vladimir Cathedral, located in Kyiv, Viktor Mikhailovich painted for 10 years.
2. Once while painting the temple, being under the very dome, Vasnetsov fell down. The only thing that saved him from troublethat he was caught on a hook by a jacket and hung in the air. Recalling this incident later, he said that the Lord had saved him then.
3. Vasnetsov was very fond of the History of Russia.
4. The painting "Alyonushka" was painted from a holy fool girl, a peasant woman who actually lived. The background is also a real place in Abramtsevo. Initially, the canvas was called "Fool Alyonushka" and had nothing to do with the fairy tale.
5. In the evenings, the whole family read the Bible in the artist's family.
6. Vasnetsov knew Nicholas II and even attended his coronation.
7. In his life he was a very economical person, he never threw money down the drain and brought every penny he earned to his family.
8. Vasnetsov was a strict father, but at the same time he raised his children in an atmosphere of creativity.
9. The artist's son became an astronomer, and the eldest daughter became an artist.
10. Vasnetsov's wife had a medical profession, which she received one of the first (among women) in St. Petersburg.

The artist died in 1926, and his last words were: “Tell everyone who will ask how, they say, and what: I only lived in Russia…”